The 19th Brighton Scouts was a fundamental part of my life growing up. Both brothers had been Scouts and Venture Scouts there, one later becoming a Scoutmaster, whilst my mother was Chair of the fundraising committee that oversaw the building of its ‘hut’ in the ‘seventies.
I was both Cub and Scout there and one of the Scoutmasters, among many who gave up a considerable amount of their spare time to inspire young Scouts, was John Brooks.
I remember John on a number of different levels. Long-standing family friend, master of camp-fire songs, knowledgeable country-man, passionate motorcyclist. Two of my memories are more unusual.
In September 1987 I enrolled on a one-year City & Guilds evening course in Social and Documentary Photography, part of which entailed finding a social subject to document.
John had been a Traffic Warden in and around Haywards Heath for more than 20 years and he readily agreed to be the subject of my photo documentary. Permission was gained from the Chief Inspector and I duly followed John around during a series of lunchtimes and occasional early mornings, taking photographs of him working.
I must have walked miles following him around and I even persuaded my then-boss to park his car on double-yellow lines and pose as an insouciant transgressor arguing against being ticketed. John did offer to write out the ticket for me to photograph, but said that Ken would then need to pay it!
My efforts over the year were rewarded with a Distinction and a nice letter from the local Superintendent, and since John retired the following year, due to the increasing poor health of his overworked knees, my work really did become a piece of historical documentary.
For many years John had also been part of the annual Pantomime at Clair Hall in Haywards Heath and had encouraged my parents and I to attend. It was always great fun, although the thing that I oddly remember most was the chilly drive home again across Ditchling Common with the impenetrable mist often hanging in the dips in the road.
Around the time of my photo assignment, John asked if I could audition for a role in the pantomime. When I arrived one lunchtime it turned out to be only half a role: the back half… of Daisy the Magical Mrs Cow! Since John was the front half, I was lucky enough to secure the role.
After hours of rehearsals learning to perform hilarious movements with Daisy’s hind quarters, and with the pantomime dates looming, John’s knees sadly became too precarious for him to continue and I was promoted to the front end role!
This was a real step up, not least as I then had air to breathe and different (even more hilarious) moves to make with Daisy’s front legs, eyelashes etc. Under John’s tutelage, my rookie back legs and I had a storming week of pantomime, culminating with a performance with my parents and sister sitting in the front row… seasoned heckler that she is!
As the performance ended and the leading ladies received bouquets, the Director asked if there were any other bouquets to give. My sister, in a loud voice, proclaimed ‘Mrs Cow’, and promptly presented the Daisy team with a bouquet of grass and gorse that she and her partner had collected from the Downs, neatly tied with an elaborate bow by a local florist!
That was a truly memorable moment to end a memorable week, but was not as hilarious as what happened next.
As I staggered home after an excellent end of show party, a Police car slowed to pass me, turned in the road behind and then pulled up alongside me. The Constable wound down the window and asked what I was carrying… the answer left them chuckling and shaking their heads in disbelief as they drove off.
It seems like only a short time after that John and his wife Natalie moved to Wales for a more rural pace of life. He passed away after a gruelling battle with Parkinsons, whilst she predeceased him by a couple of years. I have happy memories of both.